|| A Chinese folktale ||
Once there were ten farmers who were crossing a field together.
A huge thunderstorm suddenly started blowing with wind howling and the lightening was menacing.
The sudden cloudburst surprised the farmers and they began looking around for shelter.
They took shelter in a ruined temple. The lightening was very near and it looked like it might strike soon.
The farmers were very scared and thought it was the wrath of the Gods.They thought there must be a sinner amongst them, whom the lightening would strike. God wanted to punish the sinner.
But how do they identify the sinner?
They decided to hang their straw hats on the door. Whichever hat blows away first, the owner of the hat will have to leave the temple and face the wrath of God in the thunderstorm.
So they all hang their hats. In a while, one of the farmer’s hat blows. He pleads with the rest, telling that he was nothing but a sincere and honest man and a loving father. But they thrust him out without pity.
The unfortunate farmer stood outside getting drenched, unsure where to find another shelter.
Meanwhile, the lightening which was, until then, circling the temple, struck it with a crash.
The only righteous one had been spared.
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